Beyond the basement

'Love yourself' is terrible, ambiguous advice. Same with 'self-love', implying all you need is a bubble bath to heal yourself. To help, I'm sharing three, possibly more helpful, definitions of what love is when it comes to relating to yourself, as well as others. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy...

Every time something doesn't work out the way we expected, that's a form of grief, I reckon. Some reflections on navigating the tricky stuff, crouched beneath a mighty oak. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

Today's rant is about toxic goal-setting. Why would anyone set themselves up for failure? I also suggest a healthier, more gentle way to express and get what you want from the year ahead. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

Stood on a hillside, the dog has my back. We're watching out for each other. But all that watching out can get in the way of experiencing what's really going on in the moment. Where there's fun to be had. Some reflections from improv. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

Staring into the eyes of another human is INTENSE. Animals only do it for two reasons, and they both begin with F. So it's no wonder we rarely hold gaze into the eyes of our fellow humans for very long. Yet what would happen if we did? The eyes don't lie. What will we see and find in there? This month at Leeds improv Co-Lab we'll be playing with safe ways to make eye contact and transmit the messa...

You lot asked for it, here it is. Collected stories and reflections on ways to navigate the profound discomfort of job dissatisfaction, and the uncertainty of what lurks on the other side. Includes insight and tips to help you find hope in what seems like a hopeless situation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit...

Our bodies do everything they can to protect us from emotional (and physical) pain. And what a marvellous job it does of that. Yet inside pain, in the shadows, lurk valuable lessons and uncomfortable truths. Truths that when exposed can actually liberate us from subsequent pain in the future. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus...

Relentless doing and making can be a way to avoid tricky feelings like disconnection. But it's also an expression of creativity and love. What is healthy doing and making? How might we let ourselves off the hook when we're not up to much else? Chris has a weekend by himself to explore all this, and makes a washstand in the process. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with o...

Everyone remembers a great teacher, right? One of my favourite teachers (Andêl Sudik) ran a workshop for my improv community last week, which left me inspired, hopeful and mischievous... Some reflections on what improv reveals about life, our vibe, and how to enjoy more of the here-and-now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus ep...

Anger wants to move. If it can't, we suffer. But what even is it? How do we move it in a healthy way? I share some reflections and insight from my own experiences with anger - like waking up in a right funk this morning... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

A chance conversation at last night's improv for newcomers event led to this reflection all about being a grown-up, seriousness, play, and what it is to be a 'whole' human. And why we might need more of the latter. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

I didn't have a very gentle introduction to improv. In fact, it was pretty brutal. I didn't sleep for 4 days. So here's what I'd do differently. What I will do differently, as today I host my first basics taster improv session, inviting newbies to come join and play our little community in Leeds. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bo...

My friend Lody is a contact improviser in Holland. We have a late night chat about what it is and how it relates to the usual kind of improv I bang on about here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

Do you have unrelentingly high standards? Ever beat yourself up because nothing's ever quite good enough? Can you spot flaws and mistakes in everything? It could be that you have a particularly vocal inner critic, or live with a high degree of judgement in your life. Here's my heartfelt exploration of what it's like living with judgement, how it behaves under stress and security, as well as a few...

What is anger? How do you feel about it? Classic BtB territory here as I process some recent triggers that provoked my own unique flavour of anger. There's also reflections on how we might express it in healthier ways so it doesn't linger and torment. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.co...

I wonder out-loud if there's an appetite for more human-to-human tenderness. By that I mean vulnerable moments where we're both answering the question "what's it like being you" openly, without fear of shame, judgement and reprisal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

Even if you're not a dog person, these furry, stripped-back mammals hold the wisdom of the universe in their tiny minds, if we're open to listening. Here's everything (so far) I'm learning about peace, presence, trust and other virtues, from Laurie. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

I accidentally-on-purpose crafted a really productive day, even though what came out of it was 'wrong'. Here are some reflections on what we might do to affect our state (energy, motivation, moods), and what works - so we feel hopeful, inspired and creative, regardless of outcomes. Note: not all my days are like this... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscri...

A fruitful first wander in the wintry French countryside reminds me how people and memories leave a spooky kind of residue. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy.substack.com

Here's how to tell if your beautiful mind isn't serving you as well as it could be at the moment. We'll explore five common symptoms of 'being up in your head' as we call it in improv - not enjoying the here-and-now, feeling fatigued and fed-up, like you don't know, zoned out or dwelling on the past/future. There's hope here too, as we explore antidotes and ways to break the cycle of excess thinki...

Here's what happens when we put a little effort into feeling good about where we are and who we're with. These are my reflections from a recent Leeds improv Co-Lab play session I hosted, exploring these ideas to see how they improve our performance and free up our natural potential. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes,...

Before, during and after a tricky experience - how do you support yourself, if at all? When the panic, fear, shame, anger arrives, do you distract yourself or sit with it? Or like many people I expect do you just accept mild traumatizing as part of the deal you didn't sign up for when you were born? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to...

I hear this phrase a LOT in the change work I do with individuals. People usually say it when we come up against the very value or belief you have that's at the root of some behaviour that's unhelpful, holding you back or otherwise not serving you any more. It's a denial of the very thing that defines you as a human - your ability to learn, cope and adapt. This is a public episode. If you would li...

What links a chilly dawn swim and improv? Let's find out shall we... I've just emerged from a very cold lake. I can barely feel my hands. Yet my still frozen body has all manner of juicy reflections for you from yesterday's big workshop, about finding calm in your body, landing in the here-and-now, when you're a bit panicked, stressed or distracted. This is a public episode. If you would like to d...

Chris gets spooked at the dentist, feels a bit sensitive, then talks all about how we might all do well to become better listeners and communicators alongside each other. Instead of fixers and solvers. Sure, we need both. But mainly more of the former, I reckon. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chriskenworthy....